A new four-part season of the BBC World Service’s Amazing Sport Stories podcast is to launch.
The new series, Chasing Mountains, follows the stories of five mountaineers who are trying to become the first woman to reach the summits of the 14 highest mountains in the world.
It’s a gruelling and potentially deadly quest, spanning years, where these women risk their lives for the ultimate challenge.
All 14 peaks are more than 8000 metres high in the Karakoram and Himalayan mountains, with some of the harshest environments on Earth. The race is set, but everything may not be as it seems.
The mountaineers in the series are Edurne Pasaban from Spain, Gerlinde Katlernbrunner from Austria, and Nives Meroi from Italy. They are joined by South Korean climbers Oh Eun-sun and Go Mi-young, all determined to claim the title.
It’s a story about chasing dreams, personal struggles, and the things that make us human, including mental health. Chasing Mountains is hosted by Joanna Jolly and Kathy Karlo.
Joanna Jolly is a writer, producer, and former BBC correspondent in Nepal. Over the series, Jo reflects on her own role in the story, reporting on the women climbers taking huge risks to achieve their goals. While the prospect of a race created great headlines, Joanna reflects on the realities of these women, who the media pitched against one another.
Kathy Karlo is a rock climber, podcaster and writer. She draws on her experiences to help listeners understand the challenges elite athletes face as they push the mental and physical boundaries of their sport ever further and higher.
Joanna says: “Back in 2010 when I was in Nepal reporting on this story, I was focused on who was going to win the race. But Chasing Mountains tells the story of the enormous mental and physical challenges that these women overcame – and it’s made me realise that being first isn’t that important.”
Kathy adds: “As climbers, we are inviting risk every time we go into the mountains. Mountaineering’s path asks us to gamble a thread, in order to receive everything in return. ‘Chasing Mountains’ speaks to the transformative power of passion for a sport, and how our greatest challenges and pains can reveal our truest selves.”
The first episode of Chasing Mountains will be available weekly on BBC Sounds from Monday 15 April and on other podcast platforms from Monday 22 April. It will also air weekly on BBC World Service radio from Wednesday 26 June.
